It is National Potato Chip Day.

It is National Potato Chip Day.

It is National Potato Chip Day. The most widely-circulated story about the origin of potato chips concerns a Native American chef named George Crum. He worked at Moon Lake Lodge, a resort in Saratoga Springs, New York. In 1853, a customer complained repeatedly that the fried potatoes Crum cooked were too thick. "I'll show that moron," thought Crum, who then cut paper-thin slices of potato, fried them, and asked whether these were thin enough for the guy. The customer was surprised but delighted by the result: the first potato chips. They became such a hit that Crum later opened his own restaurant, with "Saratoga chips" as a specialty.

It's easy to fry your own potato chips, but it's also easy to overcook them. Use a sharp potato peeler to slice the potatoes. Heat vegetable oil to just 325 degrees. When you have enough sliced to make a batch, fry them while slicing some more. But keep your eye on the ones in the fryer. If they're browning quickly on the sides but not in the middle, the oil is too hot. When they're brown all over, drain them in a large sieve (paper towels make them soggy). Salt them up and keep going. Depending on the number of people in the house, you may well be at this for hours, because freshly-fried potato chips are even more addictive than the ones in the bags. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So,What's your favorite Potato Chip? Have you ever made your own? How'd they turn out? What do you like to eat with your chips?

MetroplexJimGlenn1234: Boy, do those Utz "Carolina 'Cue" chips look good. I doubt they are available here in Texas, but I'll look!

The thing is with those Utz Carolina BBQ chips, ... they taste great and close to authentic for the first few mouthfulls. Then, for some reason, the vinegar taste just overwhelms everything after a couple minutes. It's almost as if it builds up. My wife concurs on this taste observation. If you can find them, they're still worth a try. By the way, despite my rooting for the TarHeels, I did not go to UNC (I went to Wm. & Mary), but I have been a UNC TarHeels basketball fan most of my life.

MetroplexJimGlenn1234: Boy, do those Utz "Carolina 'Cue" chips look good. I doubt they are available here in Texas, but I'll look!

The thing is with those Utz Carolina BBQ chips, ... they taste great and close to authentic for the first few mouthfulls. Then, for some reason, the vinegar taste just overwhelms everything after a couple minutes. It's almost as if it builds up. My wife concurs on this taste observation. If you can find them, they're still worth a try. By the way, despite my rooting for the TarHeels, I did not go to UNC (I went to Wm. & Mary), but I have been a UNC TarHeels basketball fan most of my life.

Glenn

W&M is a fantastic school. It nearly broke my heart when my youngest turned down an Echols Scholarship at UVA to go there. But, she got a great education. In that case I guess daughter knew better.

I miss NOVA, especially my golf club up there on N. Glebe. They can't grow proper grass here in Texas and the nearly constant wind is a pain in the a$$. (It's a little known fact that Dallas is "windier" than Chicago - and it ain't from eatin' too much 'que)!

MetroplexJimW&M is a fantastic school. It nearly broke my heart when my youngest turned down an Echols Scholarship at UVA to go there. But, she got a great education. In that case I guess daughter knew better. I miss NOVA, especially my golf club up there on N. Glebe. They can't grow proper grass here in Texas and the nearly constant wind is a pain in the a$$. (It's a little known fact that Dallas is "windier" than Chicago - and it ain't from eatin' too much 'que)!

W&M was good. Gkad to her your daughter did well with it.

I'm not a big fan of NoVA (traffic, congestion, etc.). But, at least the job market is good here. I grew up in RI, and miss the less hectic New England lifestyle (compared to DC/NoVA), and miss the NE RoadFoods.

Yes, Chicago is not super windy. My wife was born in the Chicago 'burbs. It was named the "windy city" a ways back because of its bragadocious politicians. The naming had nothing to do with weather. Boston is substantially windier than Chicago. I'm not familiar with the winds in Dallas, but I'll take your word that it is windier than Chicago. I really dislike the hot, humid air stagnation in the DC/NoVA area in the summer. I wish it was breezier here.

Edit: For kicks, I just looked up the windiest cities in the U.S., and found a list of the top 101. Of the top 25, 15 are Boston suburbs (including the #1 and #2 spot), and Boston itself (#18). Plus there were some from TX, including the #3 spot. Your percetion that TX is windy was spot on.

Chicago didn't even make the list. The closest was the Chicago suburb of Waukegan, Ill at #93. Yeah, it looks like the only thing windy there are the politicians. Blago just started his 14 year slammer sentence.

MetroplexJimW&M is a fantastic school. It nearly broke my heart when my youngest turned down an Echols Scholarship at UVA to go there. But, she got a great education. In that case I guess daughter knew better. I miss NOVA, especially my golf club up there on N. Glebe. They can't grow proper grass here in Texas and the nearly constant wind is a pain in the a$$. (It's a little known fact that Dallas is "windier" than Chicago - and it ain't from eatin' too much 'que)!

W&M was good. Gkad to her your daughter did well with it.

I'm not a big fan of NoVA (traffic, congestion, etc.). But, at least the job market is good here. I grew up in RI, and miss the less hectic New England lifestyle (compared to DC/NoVA), and miss the NE RoadFoods.

Yes, Chicago is not super windy. My wife was born in the Chicago 'burbs. It was named the "windy city" a ways back because of its bragadocious politicians. The naming had nothing to do with weather. Boston is substantially windier than Chicago. I'm not familiar with the winds in Dallas, but I'll take your word that it is windier than Chicago. I really dislike the hot, humid air stagnation in the DC/NoVA area in the summer. I wish it was breezier here.

Edit: For kicks, I just looked up the windiest cities in the U.S., and found a list of the top 101. Of the top 25, 15 are Boston suburbs (including the #1 and #2 spot), and Boston itself (#18). Plus there were some from TX, including the #3 spot. Your percetion that TX is windy was spot on.

Chicago didn't even make the list. The closest was the Chicago suburb of Waukegan, Ill at #93. Yeah, it looks like the only thing windy there are the politicians. Blago just started his 14 year slammer sentence.

Thanks! It turns out that where I live, McKinney, TX, ranks #100 on that list. (McKinney is the county seat of Collin County, just north of Dallas & Dallas County. Except for the fact that you can get a 3,000 sf house here for $300K it is very similar to Fairfax Co.).

As you didn't grow up in NOVA, here are my "top" tasty treats in NOVA (in no particular order):

I did not grow up in NoVA, but have been here since 1988. I have tried Willard's about 5 or 6 times. Unfortunately, each time I found them mediocre (but not bad). I do appreciate that they are sort of an homage to the different styles of BBQ around the country. They even list the names of many famous BBQ joints on their wall. But, as is often the case, when you try to do it all ... (all the BBQ styles ij this case), ... you don't excel at any of them. None were bad, they're just kind of mediocre, in my opinion. I keep going back hoping that the previous visit was just a fluke. But, it keeps on not thrilling me. I'm sure I'll go again, as it is close by.

I ate at Yorkshire ages ago, and honestly can't recall if I liked it. I need to go back.

Weenie Beanie is on the "to do" list. I can't believe I haven't been there yet.

Our favorite BBQ in the DC region, and favorite overall roadfood in the DC region is Dixie Bones BBQ in Woodbridge (not to be confused with the chain called Smokey Bones.). Despite our fondness for pulled pork, we think that Dixie Bones' best food is their beef brisket. It was better than the places we tried in TX, in our opinion. They also have great "home made" pies.

There is a relatively new pizza place in DC, and now a 2nd location in Clarendon, called Pete's New Haven Style Apizza. It was opened by a guy from New Haven who was tired of the pathetic pizza around here. As most Roadfooders know, New Haven style pizza / apizza is among the best. We love New Haven style apizza, and stop at Frank Pepe's or Zuppardi's in CT on the way during our frequent trips to RI. So, we tried Pete's New Haven Style Apizza and it was very good. We rate it as the "worst" of the New Haven style that we have had, but the best in the entire DC metro area! Of course, even the worst of the New Haven style is pretty darn good. Yes, New Haven style is that good, and DC pizza is that bad, in our opinion. We have tried most of the so-called good pizza around DC (Generous Georges, 3 Amy's, and on and on.). We have come to the conclusion that the people here need to take a road trip to the northeast. :) We knew we were in trouble when we moved here, and heard from people how wonderful the Pizza Hut down the street was, and that we had one of the nation's top grossing Domino's franchises nearby. Aaarrgghh!

We do give NoVA full credit for the great hamburgers, as the founding region for Five Guys. I know many roadfooders are not fond of Five Guys, but we love 'em. My guess is that if they remained small, and didn't become the 800 pound gorilla, more people would give them kudos. It would be interesting to hold a blind-folded taste test with roadfooders rating burgers. I bet Five Guys would do quite well when people don't know they are from Five Guys.

To me, Flavored potato chips is like putting a generic brand of ketchup on a Peter Luger steak! Totally unneccessary! Just enjoy the original.

I tend to agree with that. The "regular" chips always seem to be the best. But, it was interesting to try the Carolina BBQ, and they amazingly tasted like east Carolina BBQ... for the first few bites. But, I was glad to go back to the originals.